KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 16 — The Immigration Department detained 14 foreign nationals in an operation to combat human trafficking and migrant smuggling at two restaurants in Shah Alam yesterday.
During the 10.30pm operation, Immigration officers also rescued an underage foreign boy suspected of being exploited for forced labour.
Immigration Department (Operations) deputy director-general Jafri Embok Taha said the detainees comprised 10 men and four women from Myanmar, Indonesia, and India, suspected of violating the Immigration Act 1959/63.
"Based on tip-offs, several foreign nationals without valid passes were found working and suspected to be victims of human trafficking,” he said in a statement today.
Two local employers were arrested, and four witness summonses were issued to individuals identified to assist in the investigation.
Jafri said the investigation is being conducted under Section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (ATIPSOM) Act 2007 (Act 670), specifically for trafficking children for exploitation.
The operation, which employed the approach of identifying human trafficking victims among vulnerable groups based on the National Guideline on Human Trafficking Indicators 2.0, involved a team of officers from the ATIPSOM and AMLA Prevention Division of the Immigration Department's headquarters in Putrajaya.
— Bernama
